LE

1. They're better armed and more numerous than the Taliban so it won't be a rerun of Afghanistan

2. Most of them will actually fight as the West will be seen as relaunching the Crusades as a concept for the 21st century -so it won't be a rerun of Telic

3. Neither ourselves or the spams have any troops to spare

4. Iraq will go daft as a consequence - always attack when your enemy is occupied and all that

5. North Korea and any other bunch of daft tw@ts may also think it's a good time to get away with anything they can

But when did common sense ever dictate what the current US administration does ? And as Tony just does what he's told UK considerations will not enter into it.

If I was the Iranians I'd throw everything I had at the spams in Iraq on day 1, coupled with as much of a popular uprising as I could arrange. Take a few thousand US hostages, tie them to strategic targets and see what happens.

MIA

Old-Salt

Yeah probably but I don't think it will come about because of Iran, not directly anyway. Saudi Arabia seems to be suffering from more and more insurrection. If the house of Saud were to fall in a civil war orchestrated by Al Quaida then the Americans would have no choice but to invade in order to protect their interests (oil). With the invasion of the home of Islam we would all be up sh*t creek....

Iran is no threat to this country....currently.
Iran is no threat (currently/directly) to the United States
Iran is no (current) threat to it's Gulf neighbours
Iran IS currently and directly a threat to Israel.

Who would benefit from a war with Iran ?
This Country ? No.
The USA ? Not really - apart from vindictive revenge for the humiliation of 1979 ....and further opportunities to make itself hated throughout the Muslim world.
The Gulf States? Saudi ? They all trade with Tehran.
Israel ?....................hmmm.

If all this manipulation wasn't so dodgy it would be laughable.

Whilst no US president seems capable of resisting Israeli interest, there seems little good reason why the UK should embroil itself any further in the frikkin' sandbox.....especially in any conflict with a country with whom until recently we have had if not cordial, then at least trading , relations.

We are at odds with the rest of Europe on this: France,Germany,Italy, Spain are all keen to open up relations with Iran, not fight the buggers.Our Euro partners are busily making money ( and keeping jobs in Frankfurt,Toulouse,Bologna and Barcelona) as a result of 'engagement' with Tehran, while we fanny about for fear of annoying the US.

THINK!

<< Foutez La Guerre...BA_A_A_AH!>>

Le Chevre

“Beyond a certain point, military display is only possible in countries where the common people dare not laugh at the army.”

WANTED: A few men and women of SPIRIT, berths on the good ship Ustafish - https://www.torn.com/2082453

If Israel strikes the Iranian atomic facilities, I wonder whether the Iranian government will draw nice distinctions between Israel and the USA.

I could imagine the Iranians thinking: USA repeatedly threatened us over our atomic energy program. USA paid for the planes. USA paid for the bombs. Sharon would not have dared to do this without prior assurances of USA support. Israel is just the eastern-most province of the USA.

I wouldn't assume that the Iranians would be looking exclusively toward Israel for some payback.

OOTS envisioned an airstrike against Iran provoking an Iranian attack on US forces in Iraq. To my admittedly unqualified layman's imagination, this sounds plausible. I could even imagine a coordinated effort between Iraqi irregulars, and their traditional Iranian enemies, with the goal of giving their Uncle Sam a terrible thrashing.

Some people view that idea as laughable. I don't.

The Germans probably thought the Soviet Red Army was laughable at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, and, at first, with good reason.

Yes, US and UK forces have qualitative superiority.

However, we also have longer supply lines. If they were able to cut off our supplies of gas, ammo, and food, our forces would be in trouble. How could they even be evacuated?

I don't see how the USA can afford to have our troops over there get mangled. A large part of our total supply of trained trigger-pullers is over there. If anything happened to them, who would be available for defending the USA?

The longer "George and Tony's Excellent Adventure" is allowed to continue, the greater the danger of some really horrible complications.

ADC

[I wouldn't assume that the Iranians would be looking exclusively toward Israel for some payback.

OOTS envisioned an airstrike against Iran provoking an Iranian attack on US forces in Iraq. To my admittedly unqualified layman's imagination, this sounds plausible. I could even imagine a coordinated effort between Iraqi irregulars, and their traditional Iranian enemies, with the goal of giving their Uncle Sam a terrible thrashing.

1. Supporting Israel 'right-or-Wrong' is not in the US interest
2. Our boys and girls have been in the Sandbox long enough - let them come home.
3. the man Kerry looks like a dope-smokin' Paedophile - ditch him while you can !

Lee Shaver
--

“Beyond a certain point, military display is only possible in countries where the common people dare not laugh at the army.”

WANTED: A few men and women of SPIRIT, berths on the good ship Ustafish - https://www.torn.com/2082453

LE

LE

There's fairly good evidence that Iran was involved with "Afghani" Arabs in a lightweight way. They had links to the seedling operations of AQI in Iraqi Kurdistan. After the fall of the Taliban most beards fled to Pakistan but some went to Iran. Recent OBL letters have suggested AQ relied on keeping good relations with Iran to ensure its supply. It's no secret that Dr Z explicitly stated that the war with the Rafida should be deferred till convenient.

There's also direct evidence of official Saudi contact with two of the hijackers while in the US.

You can even derive weak links to Iraqi intelligence if you push the envelope.

The intelligence service with the biggest relationship to AQ was probably the ISI. The whole Haqqani network has been described as the social infrastructure that "The Base" grew on. There were direct meetings with Bin Laden at times. He was an old friend from the Muhj war.

An then there is Mullah Omar's Taliban who seem to have had not a clue what the Arab guests were plotting.

In none of these cases does this really suggest knowing participation even of individuals in as insecure a hair brained scheme as 9-11. None of these state actors stood to benefit. Indeed it was potentially disastrous for anything but a terrorist group that could fade into the woodwork. The Iranians were plainly terrified they be invaded and helped us take out the Taliban. The Saudis were very embarrassed. Pakistan seriously contemplated open war with DC and thought better of it. Mullah Omar is reported to have been in tears over hosting Osama and desperate to find a honourable way to hand the bugger over.

That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!